Overtaking buses

[Dr Jekyll]

Vince Smythe said:

What is the best way here? A bus is indicating it is stopping at a bus stop. It is a 2 lane road with no traffic. So you try to overtake the bus as you have to turn left after 50 metres. But suddenly the bus indicates that it is joining the traffic as no one probably is getting off or on and you are half way overtaking a stopping bus. Does the Bus driver still have priority in joining the traffic when he has indicated his intention to stop?

I'd be wary. A driver that's just changed his mind is liable to be unpredictable, pedestrian behaviour near a bus stop is often dodgy especially if they are in the process of missing a bus. Hang back let everyone sort themselves out.

[Vince Smythe]

In this instance, no passengers or people are involved. The unpredictable bus driver is just a law unto himself as are the other bus drivers who park at an angle to the bus stop so no one can pass them and they can pull out without caring.

[Pica-Pica]

Blakewater said:

Pontoneer said:

The only caveat which would apply to a moving bus , and to any other vehicle but particularly large ones which are harder to see past , is to make sure you have checked there is no obstruction ahead of the vehicle ( such as a parked car or dug up section of road ) which he is going to pull out to pass just when you might be alongside .

Just comes down to proper observation , planning and anticipation again .

A large vehicle could be tailgating a smaller one that you could easily not notice when following it. Quite often I've contemplated overtaking an HGV only to see that it's right up behind a car which would make the overtake a lot longer and more unpredictable.

Yes, in those cases it is best to plan for a full pull out and look-see before committing to the overtake. If you are overtaking a string of vehicles, say two cars and a HGV, always assume there may be a small car hidden in front of the HGV.

[Pica-Pica]

Vince Smythe said:

In this instance, no passengers or people are involved. The unpredictable bus driver is just a law unto himself as are the other bus drivers who park at an angle to the bus stop so no one can pass them and they can pull out without caring.

Round here, the bus drivers are pretty disciplined with regards indicating to pull in and out, as well as tucking right in when stopping. Also, tractor drivers frequently pull in if a large queue is beginning to form behind them. It is car drivers that are the rogues.

[nonsequitur]

Dr Jekyll said:

Following a bus along a rural road this morning, I was trying to work out whether it was worth looking for an overtake given that there was a bus stop a mile or so ahead. I was on the bike so an overtaking opportunity was quite likely to arise.

My initial thought was that I might as well wait for the bus stop so I could pass it when it was stationary and probably without having to venture onto the other side of the road. But on reflection I'm not so sure.

Once the bus has stopped you know it's going to pull out sooner or later, so if you pass without going over the white line you are using a bit of road someone else wants. Not really recommended, especially given the tendency of bus drivers to assume they have priority when pulling out of stops.

The other issue with passing a bus at a bus stop of course is pedestrians running out from in front of the bus. Not such an issue if it's moving.

Might there really be a case for overtaking moving buses in preference to stationary ones?

Overtaking a bus on a bike? surely some mistake m'lud.